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High suicide rate among seniors a tragedy for all

Editorials

While many people will be enjoying the next few weeks surrounded by friends and family, many of our neighbors will be isolated, especially those in their senior years. This isolation can contribute to depression and other disorders, which in turn can contribute to the rising levels of suicide or suicide attempts among the senior population. A Seattle Times report revealed that Washington seniors 70 and older have experienced an uptick in the number of deaths by suicide over the last few years, while younger age groups have seen a drop in number and rate of suicides. In fact, ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion thanks area farmers

Local Columns

Christmas. A season of hot cocoa, presents under the tree and delicious food at the dinner table with friends and family. My name is Kera Bentz. I am the dairy princess on the Juniata Dairy Promotional Court. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. With all the pretty lights, delicious ...

Cry the beloved European elite?

Editorials

Nothing bothers the European elite as much as American conservatives praising the European foundations of their shared, but threatened, Western civilization. Europeans especially resent having their social-welfare state system critiqued by upstart, crass Americans. Their pique only increases as they push back against the condescending American idea that the U.S. could possibly offer any constructive advice, much less help a more civilized Europe follow the “American model.” Americans, in turn, are worried that Europe is not just stagnating but is on a trajectory of permanent ...

Budget’s size unmoored from reality

Editorials

We agree with one assessment of our state budget The Center Square reported on in Tuesday’s edition of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette: The cost of the new budget is too high. That view, expressed by the Commonwealth Foundation and other conservative organizations and officials, is grounded in simple realities. Pennsylvania has to compete for employers and for families — and in the past decade to two decades, too often comes up short to states with lower tax burdens. Pennsylvania also is confronted by the same reality found across America: the cost of health care continues to be a ...

Local resources offer support as families face rising hardships

Local Columns

With its many cultures, languages and traditions, the United States has long been considered a melting pot. As the holiday season approaches, perhaps it can be compared to a pot roast: each recipe has its own flavors, textures and ingredients, just as each community has its own ideals and beliefs. Still, most would agree that a few key ingredients — tolerance, acceptance and compassion — are essential. What is no secret, however, is how dramatically the economy has shifted since the pandemic. Many have watched friends, neighbors and strangers face one hardship after another. As ...

Praise given to handwritten Christmas cards

Editorials

We’ve all come to dread checking the mail. And not just when property taxes are due. Most of the year, the only post we get is bills, which are depressing, or advertisements, headed straight for the trash. Our mailboxes, once filled with interest and promise, have become a breeding ground for junk. Once a year, that changes. Yes, each day’s haul overflows with glossy printouts and holiday gift guides, but they’re also stuffed with photos and letters from friends and loved ones, a return to the joyful nostalgia of those days when the mail was our primary means of ...